Around 31 days after pregnancy the doe will build a nest of hay in the nest box, pull her fur and make a nice nest to have her babies in. (If all goes well, see 'nest box' page for complications and tips during this stage of pregnancy).

The time is near when the doe spends a lot of her time in the nest box.

It is best to leave the doe alone during this time of labor. She should be kept in a quiet environment with no added stress such as running lawn mowers or curious people bothering her.

Her main caretaker should check on her every half-hour to an hour. She will know the voice of her caretaker and will not feel threatened by that person checking on her.

The kits will be born in a very short period of time. The whole process usually takes less then five minutes. As each kit emerges, the doe will clean it off. When all the kits have been born she will spend a few more minutes cleaning them off and then exit the nest box. She may cover them with fur and not return to them for the next 12 to 24 hours. The afterbirth will be expelled from the doe and can usually be found under the cage.

Only after the doe has given birth and exited the nest box should the caretaker then check the kits. If she knows you, she will not mind you doing this. Count them and remove any dead ones. If the weather is warm, you can re-cover them with mom's fur and leave them with Mom. If it is cold, the kits must be kept warm. Rabbits do not sit on their kits like dogs and cats to keep them warm. They can be kept warm by a heat lamp or you can bring the whole nest box in to the house. If you leave them out in very cold weather just after birth, more then likely, they will die.

The doe is straining but does not give birth: Kits can become stuck in the birth canal. This can happen in smaller litters when the kits become too big. Or a doe that has gone past 31 days and one or more of the kits become too big. It is more common in the block-headed type of rabbits such as the Lops and Jersey Woolys. The doe should be taken to a veterinarian for an oxytocin injection to try to expel the fetus. A caesarian section may be needed.

A partially expelled kit: The doe will be straining with a kit only partially born. Usually the kit will be coming hind-end first. This is a very serious situation. Intervention needs to be immediate to save the life of the doe. Put the doe in an area where you have room to move around. Place one hand on the hind end of the doe, grab the partially expelled kit with the other hand and gently begin to pull the kit out. This will not be easy, pull harder and harder until the kit begins to come out. This kit is most likely dead but if your lucky and you did this soon enough you might have saved the rest of the kits. Put the doe and nest box back in her cage and allow her to continue with her labor giving birth any more kits that may follow.

Kits are scattered on the wire: For whatever reason the doe does not have her babies in the nest box, but has them all over the floor of her cage. This may be an inexperienced doe or she may not like the next box because it is soiled or has a strange smell. (Perhaps another doe used it before her). This is why it is important to keep checking on a doe during labor. If you find kits scattered on the wire, immediately gather them up and put them in the nest box. If you can get to them before they get cold, you have saved them.

Back to Breeding Home page

Home